• Senate chairman, defence minister extend support to Bizenjo
• Some associates including HDP MPAs desert ex-CM

QUETTA: After Jam Kamal Khan Alyani’s resignation from the office of chief minister and nomination of Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo by the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) for the top slot of next leader of the house, a political void has appeared in the provincial capital that different political parties are vying to fill.

A coalition partner in Alyani-led government, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s parliamentary party has decided to contest the election of the next leader of the house and nominated Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind for the slot. It is interesting to note that Mr Alyani has put his weight behind the PTI candidate.

However, Senate Chairman Mir Sadiq Sanjrani and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak told a late night presser that they had come to Quetta on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directive and extending their support to Mr Bizenjo claimed the political crisis in Balochistan had ended with his nomination for the slot of next leader of the house. Besides Mr Bizenjo, BAP’s acting president Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, secretary general Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Mir Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali, deputy speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri were also present at the news conference.

Earlier in the day, ex-CM Alyani started holding meetings with MPAs of his party BAP and its allies in the ruling coalition asking them to support Mr Rind instead of Mr Bizenjo who was nominated for the top slot by the BAP leadership. The PTI parliamentary party has also nominated the incumbent deputy speaker of the Balochistan Assembly Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail for the seat of speaker that has fallen vacant with Mr Bizenjo’s resignation. The BAP leadership nominated ex-CM Mir Jan Mohammad Jamali for the position of speaker.

Also, a joint meeting of the group of Mr Alyani, who claims support of 26 MPAs, was attended by MPAs of the PTI, Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) and Jamhoori Watan Party and some former ministers on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Mr Bizenjo and his supporters in order to strengthen their position met leaders of the BAP’s allied parties. Some members who were with Mr Alyani till his resignation also came in contact with the BAP group that had tabled a no-trust motion against the ex-CM. Some former ministers belonging to the BAP and the PTI met the Buledi-led group. MPAs Mobeen Khilji, Khalil Bhutto, Sardar Masood Luni, Dr Rababa Buledi, Metha Khan Kakar and others assured the BAP leadership of their support for Mr Bizenjo and Mr Jamali.

Sources said a BAP delegation, headed by Senator Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, met the HDP leadership late night and discussed the formation of new government in Balochistan. HDP parliamentary leader Abdul Khaliq Hazara and MPA Qadir Ali Nayal attended the meeting.

After the meeting, the HDP announced its support for Mr Bizenjo. “We have mustered the support of over 50 members in the house of 65 while more members would join our camp before the election of new leader of the house and speaker,” a senior leader of the BAP told Dawn. He said that BAP leadership would also meet the parliamentary group of the PTI and take it into confidence over formation of next coalition government in the province.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2021